Why did Noah Lyles win gold over Kishane Thompson even though both clocked 9.79 in 100M final at Paris Olympics? Emmanuel Acho explains

Noah Lyles' clavicle gave the American track and field athlete the age over Jamaican Kishane Thompson to win gold in men's 100 meters in Paris Olympics.

Why did Noah Lyles win gold over Kishane Thompson even though both clocked 9.79 in 100M final at Paris Olympics? Emmanuel Acho explains

Emmanuel Acho broke down Noah Lyles 100 meter win in Paris Olympics over Kishane Thompson (Image via IMAGO)

Noah Lyles defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in the finals of the men’s 100-meter sprint to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Sunday. However, both clocked at 9.79 seconds.

From the get-go, the two athletes were neck and neck, eventually making it harder for the judges to decide who won. They went through several reviews as Lyles and Thompson, along with the people of the USA and Jamaica, watched with anxious faces.

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The jumbotron flashed slow-motion replays of the race, and the judges paused at the right moment for the verdict. It showed Thompson’s foot crossing the finish line first, but Lyles’ clavicle snatched the victory away from his grasp, as FOX analyst Emmanuel Acho pointed out.

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The clock stops when your torso crosses the line *not* 1st body part. Noah leans w/ his chest, while Thompson subtly concaves his chest. That was the difference.
Emmanuel Acho wrote on X (formerly Twitter)

The USA’s international track and field competitions have similar rules. 

[The] competitors shall be placed at the finish line in the order in which any part of their bodies ( the ‘torso,’ as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, hands, legs, or feet) reaches the finish line.
According to Rule 163 of the book

It was a Noah Lyles win by minuscule margins. The 27-year-old clocked 9.784 (five one thousandth of a second), while Thompson finished with 9.789 per USA Today Sports. Lyles’ compatriot Fred Kerley won bronze by finishing in 9.81 seconds.

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Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles brought track and field glory back to America after 2 decades

Lyles had a chip on his shoulder after stirring media scrutiny about NBA players being treated as World Champions. He challenged the notion, highlighting that one can only be called the best in the world when one competes with athletes from every corner of the globe.

Emmanuel Acho breaks down Noah Lyles winning Gold instead of Kishane Thompson even though both clocked 9.79 in Men's 100 meter at Paris Olympics
Noah Lyles (Image via IMAGO)

On top of that, he had the pressure of bringing back the glory days of American track & field, which remained in the shadows of its closest rival, Jamaica. The former fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, dominated the 100-meter circuit for close to two decades.

Bolt won the first of his 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He was the undisputed champion of 100, 200, and 300 meters (Ostrava 2010), making it hard for any other athlete to surpass him.

However, Noah Lyles kept his promise by beating the curse of not winning the 100 meters for America since Justin Gatlin in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. NBA player Josh Hart had the best reaction to Lyles’ victory.

Lol! Nah! He is an Olympic Gold Medalist. He can talk for life.
Josh Hart wrote on X after the race

Lyles would perhaps love to rub the gold in everyone’s face who doubted him and criticized him for a different view. Even so, he will go down as one of the best of the current generation.

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